What started off as a harmless argument between several schoolgirls on Facebook turned tragic when a man was killed in a confrontation in George Town on Monday.
According to The Star Online, 56-year-old Panjavarnam Perumal was attacked by six girls, aged between 15 and 20, armed with helmets at around 11pm after a heated argument between them and the man’s grand niece.
The girl’s mother, A. Rajeswari, 34, was also reportedly injured in the attack.
Rajeswari told the news portal that at around 10pm, she received a phone call from a girl who insisted on meeting her.
“I told her I was at work and would only be home at 11pm. When I got home, I saw a group of girls hanging around on the ground floor.
“I then went back to my flat on the first floor and my daughter told me that the girls were shouting profanities at her and she was afraid,” she was quoted as saying.
She added that she then asked her uncle, Panjavarnam, to talk to the girls.
“They told me that my daughter wrote disparaging remarks about them on Facebook and she should apologise.
“I told them what they were doing was very unbecoming as what they were shouting could be heard by the other residents.
“Two men also turned up to threaten us but they were not involved in the attack.
“We then walked away and they started to beat us with their helmets. I lost consciousness and woke up in an ambulance,” Rajeswari was further quoted as saying.
Panjavarnam died on the way to the hospital, reportedly due to a heart attack.
Meanwhile, George Town OCPD Asst Comm Mior Faridalathrash Wahid told The Star Online that the police have arrested three girls and a man, aged between 15 and 23, and they will be remanded for six days to facilitate investigations.
“The case has been classified as murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code,” ACP Mior was quoted as saying.
